The Ultimate 2nd Screen Experience

Watching the Cincinnati Reds on FOX Sports Ohio just got even better! FOXSportsOhio.com recently launched Game Connect, the ultimate second screen experience. Now fans can catch the live action on TV while following up-to-the-minute game stats and social media conversation about the Reds on FOXSportsOhio.com's Game Connect.

Game Connect features live stats for each player, including batter vs. pitcher career information, a pitch count fuel tank, and a built-in Twitter feed, so you can follow and participate in the online chatter about the Reds. It also has a spot where fans can send a question to the broadcasters during the game.

The best way to learn about Game Connect is to try it! The next time the Reds are on, visit FOXSportsohio.com and experience the game in a whole new way.

Jackets in the summer?

FOX Sports Ohio and the Columbus Blue Jackets are excited to announce a new summer program, Blue Jackets Slap Shots Summer Special, premiering this Thursday, July 28 at 9pm. This 30-minute special will bring viewers up to speed on their team’s off-season news as host Ray Crawford guides fans through the Jackets’ busy summer.

The show includes a brief recap of the NHL Entry Draft, examines the club’s free agent acquisitions and takes a look at the upcoming 2011-12 season.

Color Analyst Bill Davidge goes one-on-one with newly acquired All-Star center Jeff Carter and new defenseman James Wisniewski, while FOX Sports Ohio has an exclusive interview with team captain Rick Nash, who shares his thoughts on the club’s off-season moves. Viewers will also hear from General Manager Scott Howson on the recent signing of veteran forward Vinny Prospal.

Jackets fans also won’t want to miss a segment featuring 2010 first round pick Ryan Johansen and the club’s young prospects as they trade in their skates for spatulas for a cooking class during development camp!

Click here for the show schedule.

High School Football Returns

FOX Sports Ohio is excited for the return of High School Football Game of the Week. Once again, the network is bringing its Emmy Award-winning live coverage of high school football action between celebrated rival match-ups into homes this season with 12 exclusive games that will air LIVE Thursday evenings this fall.

 This season, the network is excited to feature an integrated schedule, including local match-ups as well as high-profile games from around the state. “We’ve improved this year’s high school football schedule to take full advantage of our reach and maximize exposure for the schools and students,” says FOX Sports Ohio Executive Producer Tom Farmer. “Each game will not only be televised locally, but it will also be shown throughout our entire distribution area.”

The network is also pleased to once again simulcast the games online. Each week, the games will stream LIVE on FOXSportsOhio.com. Furthermore, the site looks forward to a new layer of coverage as we will follow the performances of hotly recruited high school athletes and potential future players of Ohio’s leading college teams. Stay tuned for an announcement about an expanded high school football package exclusively on FOXSportsOhio.com.

The ten weeks of high school football action on FOX Sports Ohio kicks off Thursday, August 25 at 7pm. LIVE coverage will begin 15 minutes prior to game time each week.

"Beside the Point" is Resurrected with new addition to FOXSportsOhio.com

Welcome Pat McManamon!

FOX Sports Ohio is pleased to announce Pat McManamon is bringing more than 25 years of journalism experience to FOXSportsOhio.com, where he will serve as a sports reporter, analyst and commentator beginning July 19.

Lakewood native and graduate of St. Ignatius High School, McManamon will provide fans with comprehensive analysis of Ohio’s major sports teams as he writes news, features and columns about sports news surrounding the state. In addition, he will bring his "Beside the Point" blog back to readers and fans of Ohio teams. FOXSportsOhio.com plans to revive the "Beside the Point" community of devoted followers as well.

McManamon last worked for AOL Fanhouse, where he wrote national columns and provided analysis on a variety of sports, including MLB, the NBA, NFL and college.

Prior, he was with the Akron Beacon Journal for more than 10 years, first as Cleveland Browns beat writer and then as the paper's sports columnist. As Browns writer, he broke several news stories, including identifying the first overall pick in 1999 and the resignation of team president Carmen Policy. He then became the general sports columnist, covering all professional and "amateur" sports.

McManamon also has worked as Editor of ClevelandBrowns.com, and was a national sportswriter for the Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C., where he covered the Olympics, Wimbledon, Final Four, Ryder Cup and other national events. His career began at the Palm Beach Post in Florida, where he covered the University of Florida, University of Miami and Miami Dolphins and was the assistant sports editor.

He has a master’s degree in journalism from American University (Washington, D.C.) and a BA in English from Holy Cross (Worcester, MA.).

For more information and to follow McManamon’s coverage, visit FOXSportsOhio.com.

"Disqus" increases Discussion

All signs point to a stronger online community since FOXSportsOhio.com began using a new commenting system. In just a week after implementing "Disqus,” the site experienced a 23X increase in the number of visitor comments.

The week before the new system, there were 19 comments. The week after, there were 445. 

Less than a week after “Disqus” debuted on FOXSportsOhio.com, two articles eclipsed the previous high-water mark for comments on an article, and one tripled the previous high.